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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23975554">There Goes the Neighborhood</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raquel555/pseuds/Raquel555'>Raquel555</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Eddsworld - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Based off of PowerEdd, Gen, Gun Violence, Male Friendship, Neighbors</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 01:48:13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,974</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23975554</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raquel555/pseuds/Raquel555</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Eduardo’s got a surprise for his friends. Jon isn’t sure where this is going to go, but it’s nice seeing Eduardo happy. Time for another adventure.</p><p> </p><p>Yep, this one’s about the neighbors.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Get up! We’re gonna be late!”</p>
<p>Jon groaned as he cracked his eyes open. He squinted at the light blinding him, streaming in from the now opened drapes of his window. Blindly, he dug his fingers into his bright blue bedding, trying to get a hold of his bearings. The voice sounded familiar, but..Jon slowly sat up, and stared at the voice’s owner.</p>
<p>And there Eduardo stood, watching him at the foot of his bed, grinning like he'd won the lottery and, oddly enough, wearing an even-fancier-than-usual dark green dress shirt. The sight alone proved to be enough to fully wake Jon up. He wasn't quite sure what could possibly excite Eduardo so much, but it served to be a welcome break from his...usual demeanor. </p>
<p>Jon scrambled to get out of bed, falling out in a mess of covers. This actually had the makings of a good day, and he wasn’t about to mess it up. He unwrapped himself from the soft comforter as quickly as possible, interested to see where exactly this was going. After his daring comforter escape, he stood up and grinned at Eduardo, hoping to keep him smiling. </p>
<p>And, anyway, he was standing by the door expectantly.</p>
<p>Enticed by the possibility of a trip, Jon eagerly walked over to his bright blue drawers, mindlessly tossing things out until he found it- his favorite blue dress shirt! Anything else would be underdressed, compared to Eduardo, and that wouldn't do. Even if he still has no idea why he's all dressed up..</p>
<p>Tap. Tap. Tap.</p>
<p>A quick turn of his head revealed to Jon that Eduardo hadn't left yet. Jon could appreciate his eagerness to leave, but still. He needed the room.</p>
<p>“Can you get out?”</p>
<p>Eduardo must’ve realized that he was trying to get dressed, because his face flushed and he rushed out. Probably because he had to leave- he didn’t exactly like being told what to do. Why else, right? No other reason- none Jon could think of, anyway.</p>
<p>Shaking the thought from his head, he pulled his nice clothes on and hurried outside of his bedroom, where he noticed Eduardo and Mark, standing by the front door.</p>
<p>Neither of them seemed happy.</p>
<p>Jon protected his face with his hands, and tried to stifle a laugh.. Guess he ruined his good mood anyway. </p>
<p>Of course, they seemed unhappy in different ways. He turned to his closest friend. Eduardo’s still somewhat flushed face and wide eyes bore into him, and the way he clenched his fists so tightly almost led Jon to worry for the door handle. He looked kind of angry, to Jon. Being Eduardo, it was likely, but why?</p>
<p>Mark just looked bored. </p>
<p>Eduardo sighed heavily but said nothing. No, he simply opened the door and held out his arm expectantly. As he walked out the door, Mark murmured his usual half hearted greeting, not bothering to look up from his phone.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Gray. The first thing he saw. The world, swathed in dark rain clouds, looking as if the sky had been colored in with a muted palette of blacks and grays. </p><p>Oh yes, how Jon adored London’s weather. The sun is beautiful, sure, but is there anything quite like rain? Cool, calm, and comes with a beautiful soundtrack- one Jon realized he must have missed in his haste. At least hearing it now made it  a sweet surprise.</p><p>The puddles around him looked pretty inviting,  sure, but he’d save it for another time. He ignored them all, and hopped into the backseat of their car- Eduardo driving and Mark next to him, as per the usual.</p><p>Jon stared out of the car’s window. He looked over and noticed their neighbor’s house. He didn't like his neighbors. Why that is, Jon wasn't exactly sure, but ultimately he was content to accept it as a fact of life. He didn't like them- good reason or not. Jon supposed, in any case, that everybody needs a rival. And anyway, something about that Tom guy had always rubbed him the wrong way.</p><p>But just as they pulled out of the driveway, he noticed the targets of his undeserved disdain. Bright orange hair stood out in stark contrast against the monochrome background, making it hard not to see him. The man- Matt, he thinks-had been staring at the puddles formed on his driveway- or was he staring in them? The other two were beside him, probably doing something stupid. </p><p>They were...smiling. </p><p>So, yeah, definitely something stupid. He felt a twinge of something..uncomfortable. Jon didn't really feel like looking at them anymore.  And thankfully, he didn't have to. Because at that moment, they'd started to move far enough away that the three of them had begun to form into blurry figures and nothing more. Just shapes blending into the background. </p><p>Jon tried to get comfortable, laying his head upon his arm. The scenery outside provided a nice distraction, but it wasn’t enough. A vague frown found its way onto his face and he remembered that he still had no idea where exactly this car was headed. </p><p>He looked upwards at Eduardo. Maybe it was worth asking where they were going?<br/>Couldn't hurt to ask. Well, not while he was driving.</p><p>“Where are we going?”</p><p>Eduardo glanced at him through his rear view mirror, a smile on his face. </p><p>“You'll see.”</p><p>Figures.</p><p>Jon’s frown deepened slightly. Oh, well. It was worth a shot. The surroundings quickly caught his interest yet again and he decided not to bother anyone with any more questions. And so, the car was silent, with the exception of the car radio’s quiet hum. But, there's nothing like a trip with friends, regardless of location. Right?</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Jon had been staring outside the obscured window listlessly when he heard Eduardo say the three most beautiful words he could think of-</p><p>“We’re here.” </p><p>He got out of his seat with a smile and what was practically a hop, being so sick of the boredom.</p><p>Jon went to stand next to Eduardo, taking a moment to study the building they'd found themselves parked in front of. It seemed to be an office building, and he seriously started hoping Eduardo wasn't trying to get them new jobs again. He appreciated the effort, of course, but..Jon crossed his fingers and hid his hands into his pockets. </p><p>The trio entered the building together. It was weird to him, after all, people were working. They were just.. there. Intruding. But Eduardo looked like he knew what he was doing...and who was Jon to question that? Plus, his friend was excited. Genuinely excited, and he couldn’t bear to ruin that.</p><p>They walked into an elevator, and hit floor 20. Jon still had absolutely no idea what they were doing. The secrecy was mildly irritating, but he did always love surprises. </p><p>The doors open and Jon is left to wonder no more. The walls of this floor were decorated with.. paintings and red sashes. Turning to Eduardo, it suddenly all makes sense. The fancy clothes. The uncharacteristic secrecy. The creepy grin.</p><p>“I got into an art exhibit.”</p><p>A wide smile of his own finds its way onto Jon’s face and he can barely resist the urge to hug his best friend. Something told him that would be a bad idea, even if Eduardo seemed happy. Instead, he settled for a much safer “congratulations”.</p><p>Before he could get a word out, though, a man came out of an elevator on the opposite side. He walked in with a swinging gait, proud and confident. He wore a beige suit, clean and pressed with one currently-in-use perfectly folded pocket square. The man flashed them a blindingly white smile, running a hand through gelled hair. </p><p>“So, boys, how do you like the showcase?” The man said, his tone laced with amusement.</p><p>Eduardo ambled over to the man, strutting high with pride, and moved to shake his hand. The man didn’t wait, instead, he pulled his hands away to tip his hat to the trio. He moved away from Eduardo, turning to face Mark and Jon. </p><p>“Let’s get introductions out of the way. My name’s Charlie Wilson. Now, just who exactly are you two?” Charlie said, quickly and pensively, his eyes darting back and forth between the two.</p><p>“They’re my...my...roo-,” Eduardo began, sounding unsure.</p><p>“-We’re his friends,” Mark interjected, shamelessly.</p><p>Charlie laughed, short and rough and with a shake of his head. Jon couldn’t help but feel he missed the humor in the exchange, but maybe he wasn’t alone because Eduardo wasn’t smiling anymore. Charlie and Mark looked at each other, seemingly sharing a quiet joke only meant for the two.</p><p>But the confusing interaction ended quicker than it started, with Mark’s smile disappearing and Charlie’s confident smirk returning. </p><p>“Anyway, why don’t we have a look around?” </p><p>He wrapped his arm around Eduardo’s shoulders, and guided him around the paintings. Behind him, the two trespassers followed closely. </p><p>The paintings around him were ones he’d seen many times before, around the house or half-completed upon an easel. Seeing them hanging was like a dream come true, and not just for the artist. It was a matter of pride for Jon too, seeing the efforts of a close friend realized. And based off of Mark’s rapt attention, he’d wager a guess that he was proud too. </p><p>It didn’t last long.</p><p>“So. Eddie baby, tell me, do ya love it?” </p><p>“Yeah. It’s alright,” Eduardo said, seemingly still a little in shock.</p><p>“I can do this for you- bigger and better, even. But,” Charlie paused for a moment, “ you gotta do something for me.” </p><p>Jon swiveled his head away from the intricate paintings to hear the proprietor’s proposition. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Mark. Noticed him tense up, looking almost as if he’d just been witness to a car crash, and found himself unable to look away.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Your work looks an awful lot like Eddsworld, you know. And that’s quite the profitable business,” Charlie said.</p><p>“What about it?” Eduardo said, through audibly gritted teeth.</p><p>“I see. Let me cut to the chase: I want you to draw me some counterfeits- I won’t waste my time sugarcoating it- and in return? I give you all the beautiful showcases and full galleries you want. It’s what we in the business call a win-win.”</p><p>For a moment, it was silent.</p><p>And then the ball dropped.</p><p>“What? I’m not doing that. Ever.”</p><p>And with that, he turned on his heel. It was then that Jon could see him in better detail, and the gravity of the situation finally registered in his mind. With his face burning a crimson red, his limbs shaking with a slight tremor, and his eyes half lidded, he began walking down the gallery. </p><p>“Wow. Uh.. gotta be honest, I wasn’t really expecting you to say no. I’ve already promised some good money to some bad people and..”</p><p>His hand disappeared into his pocket and dug around for a second-they were deeper than Jon would think necessary for suit pockets, really- and pulled it out.</p><p>Behind him, Eduardo froze. <br/>Beside him, Mark’s hands went up.</p><p>Jon didn’t react just yet. After all, it was just a gun- he’d seen lots of those before. Even used them, though the times he did hadn’t gone particularly well. But, it wasn’t even pointed at anyone yet.</p><p>“Boys, boys! This doesn’t have to end poorly! Let’s make a new deal: you do these drawings, and you three don’t leave in body bags. How does that sound?”</p><p>If he had to admit, it sounded like a good deal to Jon’s humble ears. But it wasn’t being made to him, and he could really only hope for his preferred outcome. He turned his head to the offer’s actual receiver and once again crosses his fingers.</p>
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